System and method for controlling and organizing metadata associated with on-line content

ABSTRACT

A system and method are disclosed for controlling metadata associated with content on an electronic device that includes displaying interface screens for user entry of metadata control instructions, accepting user instructions, modifying metadata of applicable content, and associating the modified metadata with the applicable content. The system can export and/or store the applicable content along with modified metadata. The system can automatically modify metadata according to one or more profiles. Relevant profiles can be determined based on the export mechanism, destination or type of content. The system can add watermarks to indicate metadata modification. The system can display metadata for user modification. The content can include photos, videos or other content. The system can display metadata and geolocation indicators for each content item that indicate whether that item has associated metadata and geolocation information. The user can selectively modify meradata of selected content.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/481,188, and issued as U.S. Pat. Ser. No.8,849,819, filed on May 25, 2012, entitled “System and Method forControlling and Organizing Metadata Associated with On-Line Content,”which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/515,613, filed on Aug. 5, 2011, entitled “System and Method forControlling and Organizing Metadata Associated with On-Line Content,”both disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

Smart phones are required to support global positioning system (GPS)capability by September of 2012. Other mobile devices and televisionsare required to support GPS capability by 2018. Many mobile devices, forexample mobile phones, associate metadata with content generated orcaptured by the mobile device, for example photos. For a photo taken bya mobile device, this metadata can include GPS data showing the locationwhere the photo was taken, a date showing when the photo was taken, thename of the owner of the mobile device, and other data such as commentsor the names of the people in the photo. Typically this associatedmetadata stays with the photo and can be retrieved by recipients/viewersof the photo, including unintended recipients/viewers of the photo.Users have limited control of this metadata, especially after thecontent is sent to other users or shared through social networking,photo sharing or other Internet sites.

Privacy issues due to metadata associated with on-line content is agrowing concern. Electronic device makers and service providers, andmany Internet sites provide varying capabilities to users to controlmetadata. Many electronic devices record and save metadata associatedwith content generated or stored on the device. Some device makers andservice providers allow a user to view all or part of this storedmetadata, while others do not even allow the user to view the associatedmetadata. Some device makers and service providers allow limited editingof this stored metadata, for example associating a name or other commentwith content on the device. Social networking and photo sharing siteshave different rules regarding metadata associated with uploaded orgenerated content. These sites maintain the metadata associated withcontent, some of these sites allow users to show metadata associatedwith content, and some allow users to edit some of the metadataassociated with content.

The present system and method can be used to manage, control andorganize metadata associated with content on various types of electronicdevices. These electronic devices can include but are not limited tomobile devices, smart phones, digital cameras, computers, and consumerelectronic devices. The system can be part of the device operatingsystem software, a stand-alone application, or part of an integratedcomponent embedded in a GPS-capable device, a camera, a baseband or asystem-on-chip (SoC). The system can be used with various types ofcontent including but not limited to digital images and digital videos.Many devices do not allow users to control personal information which isrecorded as metadata and stored in content. GPS data, also known asgeolocation data or a geotag, dates and name tags are examples of thismetadata. Current image capture devices, like mobile phones and digitalcameras allow users to turn off geotagging/GPS for their cameras butthis method is not ideal for users who want to keep this metadata intheir original photos but not include it when sharing their photos onthe internet, text or email. The present system enables users to havecontrol over this metadata which is recorded and associated with digitalcontent, so they can remove personal information before sharing them onsocial networks, email, text and the internet, but let them keep thismetadata in their personal copies of the content.

A method is disclosed for controlling metadata associated with contenton an electronic device. The method includes displaying interfacescreens on a display of the electronic device for user entry ofinstructions regarding metadata control, accepting user instructionsregarding metadata control through an input mechanism, modifyingmetadata of applicable content in accordance with the user instructions,and associating the modified metadata with the applicable content.Associating the modified metadata with the applicable content caninclude making an electronic copy of original content, associating themodified metadata with the electronic copy, the electronic copy beingthe applicable content, and not modifying the metadata associated withthe original content. Accepting user instructions regarding metadatacontrol can include accepting a profile describing modifications to bemade to the metadata. Modifying the metadata of applicable content caninclude automatically making the modifications described in the profilebefore exporting the applicable content along with the modifiedmetadata.

The method can also include exporting the applicable content along withthe modified metadata from the electronic device. Exporting theapplicable content can include electronically mailing the applicablecontent over a network, uploading the applicable content to a websiteover a network, or sharing the applicable content with a third party.

The method can also include storing the applicable content along withthe modified metadata in memory on the electronic device, and markingthe applicable content to indicate that the associated metadata has beenmodified. Marking the applicable content can include adding a watermarkto the applicable content.

The method can include exporting the applicable content along with themodified metadata from the electronic device; and accepting userinstructions regarding metadata control can include accepting aplurality of profiles describing modifications to be made to themetadata; and modifying the metadata of applicable content can includedetermining any relevant profiles of the plurality of profiles, andautomatically making the modifications described in the relevantprofiles before exporting the applicable content along with the modifiedmetadata. Determining any relevant profiles can include determining auser-selected mechanism for exporting the applicable content, ordetermining a user-selected destination for exporting the applicablecontent, or determining a type of content for the applicable content.Modifying the metadata of applicable content can include, when norelevant profiles are found, notifying the user that no relevantprofiles were found, and enabling the user to manually modify themetadata of the applicable content before exporting the applicablecontent.

The method can also include displaying a plurality of content items onthe display of the electronic device, and enabling user selection of theapplicable content by selecting one or more content items of theplurality of content items. Displaying a plurality of content items caninclude displaying a watermark to indicate modified content items of theplurality of content items, the metadata associated with the modifiedcontent items having already been modified by the system. The pluralityof content items can include photos and/or videos stored on theelectronic device. Displaying a plurality of content items can includedisplaying a metadata indicator for each content item that indicateswhether that content item has associated metadata information, and/ordisplaying a geolocation indicator for each content item that indicateswhether that content item has associated geolocation metadatainformation. The method can also include displaying metadata informationassociated with the applicable content on the display of the electronicdevice. The method can also include enabling user modification of thedisplayed metadata information associated with the applicable content,and associating the modified metadata information with the applicablecontent. The user interface screens can display a map with a pinindicating a desired location, and modifying the metadata of applicablecontent can include modifying the location information in the metadataof the applicable content to be the desired location.

The interface screens can include an include author selection and anauthor entry field, and modifying the metadata of applicable content caninclude: deleting author information from the metadata of the applicablecontent when the include author selection is not selected, overwritingthe author information in the metadata of the applicable content withthe entry from the author entry field when the include author selectionis selected and the author entry field has an entry, and not modifyingthe author information in the metadata of the applicable content whenthe include author selection is selected and the author entry field hasno entry. The interface screens can include a watermark selection, andmodifying the metadata of applicable content can include adding awatermark to the applicable content when associating the modifiedmetadata with the applicable content. The interface screens can includea filename field; and modifying the metadata of applicable content caninclude changing the filename in the metadata of the applicable contentto include the entry in the filename field when the filename field hasan entry, and not modifying the filename in the metadata of theapplicable content when the filename field has no entry. The interfacescreens can include a remove date/time selection; and modifying themetadata of applicable content can include removing the date/timeinformation from the metadata of the applicable content when the removedate/time selection is selected, and not modifying the date/timeinformation in the metadata of the applicable content when the removedate/time selection is not selected. The interface screens can include aremove location selection; and modifying the metadata of applicablecontent can include removing the location information from the metadataof the applicable content when the remove location selection isselected, and not modifying the location information in the metadata ofthe applicable content when the remove location selection is notselected. The interface screens can include a remove all selection; andmodifying the metadata of applicable content can include removing all ofthe identifying information from the metadata of the applicable contentwhen the remove all selection is selected, and not removing all of theidentifying information from the metadata of the applicable content whenthe remove all location selection is not selected.

A system is disclosed for controlling metadata associated with contenton an electronic device. The system includes a user interface withscreens for display on the electronic device for entry of instructionsregarding metadata control; an input mechanism accepting theinstructions through the user interface; a metadata modificationcomponent modifying metadata associated with applicable content inaccordance with the instructions; and a metadata association componentassociating the modified metadata with the applicable content. Themetadata association component can make an electronic copy of originalcontent, associate the modified metadata with the electronic copy, andnot modify the metadata associated with the original content, theelectronic copy being the applicable content. The system can alsoinclude a sharing component that prepares the applicable content alongwith the modified metadata for export from the electronic device. Thesharing component can prepare the applicable content and the modifiedmetadata for electronic mailing over a network, for uploading to awebsite over a network, or for electronic sharing with a third party.The system can also include a memory that stores the applicable contentalong with the modified metadata, and a marking component that marks theapplicable content to indicate that the associated metadata has beenmodified. The marking component can add a watermark to the applicablecontent.

The user interface can include screens for entry of a profile includinginstructions regarding metadata control, and the input mechanism canaccept the profile. The system can also include a sharing component thatprepares the applicable content along with the modified metadata forexport from the electronic device, and the metadata modificationcomponent can automatically make the modifications described in theprofile before providing the applicable content and the modifiedmetadata to the sharing component.

The system can include a sharing component that prepares the applicablecontent along with the modified metadata for export from the electronicdevice, and the input mechanism can accept a plurality of profilesdescribing modifications to be made to the metadata, and the metadatamodification component can determine any relevant profiles of theplurality of profiles, and automatically make the modificationsdescribed in the relevant profiles of the plurality of profiles beforeproviding the applicable content and the modified metadata to thesharing component. The metadata modification component can determinerelevant profiles based on a user-selected mechanism for exporting theapplicable content, or a user-selected destination for exporting theapplicable content, or a type of content for the applicable content.When no relevant profiles are found the metadata modification componentcan notify the user that no relevant profiles were found, and enablesthe user to manually modify the metadata of the applicable contentbefore providing the applicable content to the sharing component.

The system can include a display component that displays a plurality ofcontent items on the screen of the electronic device, and the inputmechanism can accept user selection of the applicable content byselecting one or more content items of the plurality of content items.The system can also include a marking component that marks content toindicate that the associated metadata has been modified, and the displaycomponent can display a watermark to indicate modified content items ofthe plurality of content items, the metadata associated with themodified content items having already been modified by the system. Thecontent items can include photos and/or videos stored on the electronicdevice. The display component can display a metadata indicator for eachcontent item that indicates whether that content item has associatedmetadata information. The display component can display a geolocationindicator for each content item that indicates whether that content itemhas associated metadata information that includes geolocationinformation. The system can also include a metadata display componentthat displays metadata information associated with the applicablecontent on the display of the electronic device. The metadatamodification component can enable user editing of displayed metadatainformation associated with the applicable content, and associate theedited metadata information with the applicable content. The userinterface can include a map with a pin indicating a desired location,and the metadata modification component can modify the metadata locationinformation of the applicable content to be the desired location.

The user interface can include an include author selection and an authorentry field; and the metadata modification component can delete theauthor information from the metadata of the applicable content when theinclude author selection is not selected, overwrite the authorinformation in the metadata of the applicable content with the entryfrom the author entry field when the include author selection isselected and the author entry field has an entry, and not modify theauthor information in the metadata of the applicable content when theinclude author selection is selected and the author entry field has noentry. The system can include a marking component for marking content toindicate that the associated metadata has been modified, and the userinterface can include a watermark selection field, where the markingcomponent adds a watermark to the applicable content when the watermarkselection field is selected and the metadata of the applicable contentis modified, and does not add a watermark to the applicable content whenthe watermark selection field is not selected. The user interface caninclude a filename field; and the metadata modification component canchange the filename in the metadata of the applicable content to includethe entry in the filename field when the filename field has an entry,and not change the filename in the metadata of the applicable contentwhen the filename field has no entry. The user interface can include aremove date/time selection; and the metadata modification component canremove the date/time information from the metadata of the applicablecontent when the remove date/time selection is selected, and not modifythe date/time information in the metadata of the applicable content whenthe remove date/time selection is not selected. The user interface caninclude a remove location selection; and the metadata modificationcomponent can remove the location information from the metadata of theapplicable content when the remove location selection is selected, andnot modify the location information in the metadata of the applicablecontent when the remove location selection is not selected. The userinterface can include a remove all selection; and the metadatamodification component can remove all of the identifying informationfrom the metadata of the applicable content when the remove allselection is selected, and not remove all of the identifying informationfrom the metadata of the applicable content when the remove allselection is not selected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned aspects of the present invention and the manner ofobtaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself willbe better understood by reference to the following description ofexemplary embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary initial entry screen for the systembefore the user has loaded any content into the system;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary active system entry interface for thesystem after the user has loaded content into the system;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary add photos interface where the user canadd/import photos to the system;

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary select photos interface where the usercan select photos to add to a photo album;

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary view photo interface where a photo canbe viewed and a function can be selected for processing the viewedphoto;

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary settings interface for settingparameters of the system;

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary metadata listing;

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary modify photo interface where photos canbe selected for metadata modification by the system;

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary photo metadata editing interface;

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary photo sharing interface where the usercan select photos for sharing;

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary sharing selection interface where theuser can select the methods for photo sharing;

FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary camera interface for taking photos;

FIG. 13 illustrates another exemplary content selection screen withoptions for recording new image and video content;

FIG. 14 illustrates an individual content item with selectable overlayindicators showing metadata information associated with the contentitem;

FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary content item and its associatedmetadata including geolocation, EXIF, IPTC and XMP format metadata;

FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary profile control flow diagram for anembodiment of the metadata control and management system; and

FIG. 17 illustrates an exemplary environment for use of the metadatacontrol and management system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments of the present invention described below are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formsdisclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodimentsare chosen and described so that others skilled in the art mayappreciate and understand the principles and practices of the presentinvention.

The present system can be used to manage, control and/or organizemetadata associated with content on various types of electronic devices.These electronic devices can include but are not limited to mobiledevices, smart phones, digital cameras, computers (including pad, laptopand desktop computers running various operating systems), and consumerelectronic devices. The system can be embedded as part of the deviceoperating system, a stand-alone application, or in an integrated circuit(IC) chip that is part of a GPS-capable device, a camera, a baseband ora system-on-chip (SoC). The system can be used with various types ofcontent including but not limited to digital images and digital video incompressed or uncompressed formats.

Many devices do not allow users to control personal information which isrecorded as metadata and stored in content, for example photos. GPSdata, also known as geolocation data or a geotag, dates and name tagsare examples of this metadata. Current image capture devices, likemobile phones and digital cameras allow users to turn off geotagging/GPSfor their cameras but this method is not ideal for users who want tokeep this metadata in their original photos but not include it whensharing their photos on the internet, text or email. The present systemenables users to have control over this metadata which is recorded andassociated with digital content, so they can remove or modify personalinformation before sharing the content on social networks, email, textand the internet, but let them keep this metadata in their personalcopies of the content.

The system can provide the capability to perform some or all of thefollowing functions on various types of electronic devices. The systemcan enable metadata removal, editing and viewing with the purpose ofsharing or exporting content with which the metadata is associated, forexample through social networks, email, text, blogs, photo websites andetail (eBay, Craigslist, etc). The system can enable watermarking via anoverlay on the content, or a mark on a bottom corner or other locationof the content, for example a photo. The watermark can signify that themetadata associated with the content has been removed/edited. The systemcan save content to a designated folder or overwrite the originalcontent for export to other applications. The system can be set toremove all metadata on sharing of content which will allow users toautomatically remove metadata when sharing content on-line, for examplephotos/videos. The system can be an embedded feature for a smartphone OS(for example, Apple iOS, Google Android, Microsoft Win7, Java,Blackberry, Symbian, etc.). The system can be an embedded application inchip components (ICs) for integrating into consumer electronics devicesas embedded controls (for example, digital cameras, hard drives,connected consumer electronics devices, smart TVs, etc.)

Exemplary embodiments of the system implementing some of the abovefunctionality are described below. These embodiments are directed to asmart phone implementation, but cam also be implemented on computers orother electronic devices. The content discussed with these embodimentsis generally photos, but other types of content having associatedmetadata can be managed by the system. Exemplary user interface screensfor these exemplary embodiments are shown and the associatedfunctionality is described. The system can be used by various types ofusers including mothers with children, photographers, people that usesingles sites and social networking sites, and people that use orprovide content to social networking, news (eye on), or blogger sites,etc. The system can be used for photos, videos and other content that iscaptured or stored by the electronic device, or content received fromother devices or persons and forwarded. The system can be used to view,edit and/or add metadata. The system can also be used to prepare contentby removing or editing metadata before exporting, emailing or uploadingto another user, or to a website.

The system can overwrite original content or create a folder for editedcontent, content with the metadata removed or edited as desired by theuser. The system can include free-versions and paid-versions. Afree-version can enable a limited number of photos to be processed, andthen periodically ask the user, through pop-up windows or other methods,to upgrade based on a timer or the number of photos processed by thesystem. The free version can disable some of the user-controlledfeatures, for example content watermarking A paid version can unlockmore or all features and allow the user to have more control over thesystem settings. The system can store anonymous usage data in a serverdatabase. This usage data can include number of application downloads,number of application starts, amount of time the application is open,number of application failures, number of photos added, number of photosprocessed, amount of hidden data removed, amount of GPS data removed,number of thumbnails removed, number of dates removed, number of titleschanged, number of times taken by data is changed, number of photosshared through email, number of photos shared through various socialnetworking and photo sharing sites (for example, Facebook, Flickr,Twitter, Picasa, Photobucket, WordPress etc.), or other data ofinterest. This usage data can be sent to a metrics database created on asystem server when an internet connection is detected, and otherwisestored locally until an internet connection is detected. Data reportingfrequency can be set to a certain time period or usage amount or otherparameter and can be changed through the system server or otherwise.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary initial entry screen 100 for the system beforethe user has loaded any content into the system. The initial entryscreen 100 includes a system logo, an information icon 102, a takepicture button 104, and an add photo button 106. The information icon102 can bring up an information screen providing information about thesystem, including for example, a short description of the system, asystem version identifier, a link to a website regarding the system, andsome usage information for the user device, for example, number ofphotos modified, number of photos shared, etc. The free version of theinformation screen can also include advertisement space on theinformation screen. The take picture link 104 can bring up a camerainterface 1200 to take pictures to be managed by the system. The addphoto link 106 can bring up an add photos interface 300 to add photos tobe managed by the system.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary active system entry interface 200 for thesystem after the user has loaded content into the system. The activeentry screen 200 includes a parameter bar 202, a content section 204, anadvertisement section 206 and a command bar 208. The parameter bar 202includes one or more parameters of potential interest to the user, forexample the number of photos currently managed by the system. Thecontent section 204 includes photos or other content currently managedby the system. The advertisement section 206 can be eliminated on a paidversion of the system, which provides more screen space for the contentsection 204 and/or the command bar 208. The command bar 208 includesicons for one or more commands that can be selected by the user.

In this embodiment, the content section 204 shows an array of cells 240where each cell 240 contains a thumbnail of a photo or other contentmanaged by the system. The content can be organized and displayed invarious other arrangements as would be obvious to those of skill in theart. A check box 242 in a cell 240 indicates that the user has selectedthe content in that cell 240. A system icon 244 in a cell 240 indicatesthat the content in that cell 240 has already been modified by thesystem. The system icon 244 can indicate content that has been modifiedin the current session, or can indicate content that has been modifiedby the system whether in the current or prior sessions.

In this embodiment, the command bar 208 provides a modify content icon282, a share content icon 284, a launch camera icon 286, an add contenticon 288 and a trash or delete content icon 290. The modify content icon282 can bring up a modify content interface 800 to modify the contentselected in the content section 204 as indicated by the check box 242 inthe cell 240. The share content icon 284 can bring up a content sharinginterface 1100 to share the content selected in the content section 204as indicated by the check box 242 in the cell 240. The launch cameraicon 286 can bring up a camera interface 1200 to take pictures to bemanaged by the system. The add content icon 288 can bring up an addcontent interface 300 to add content to be managed by the system. Thedelete content icon 290 can delete the content selected in the contentsection 204 as indicated by the check box 242 in the cell 240 so thatthat content is no longer managed by the system. The delete content icon290 only affects the copies of the selected content being managed by thesystem, but does not affect the original or other copies of the contentthat may be stored elsewhere by the user. A confirm window can bebrought up when the delete content icon 290 is selected asking for theuser to select “yes” or “no” before actually deleting the copies of theselected content being managed by the system.

The exemplary screens 100, 200 also include device status indicators andcontrols that are commonly found on a smart phone. These device statusindicators and controls may differ based on smart phone manufacturer,operating system, service provider or other factors. Equivalent devicestatus indicators and controls can be implemented in computers and otherconsumer electronic devices using tool bars, drop down menus, and otherinterface means know to those of skill in the art. The screens 100, 200include a status indicators bar 210, and device controls that include ahome icon 212, a menu icon 214, a back icon 216 and a search icon 218.The status indicators bar 210 can include status information for thedevice, for example active applications, signal level, etc. In generalthe device controls have the following functions, though they can beprogrammed to perform different functions depending on the conditions.The home icon 212 can take the user out of the system application and toa home screen for the device. The menu icon 214 can bring up an overlaywindow with commands relevant to the current screen of the systemapplication, for example a settings icon to go to a settings interface(see FIG. 5) and an information icon to bring up information about thesystem. The back icon 216 can take the user back to the prior screenwithout executing any further actions on the current screen. The searchicon 218 can bring up a search interface relevant to the currentapplication.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary add content interface 300 that can be reachedby selecting the add photos link 106 on the initial entry screen 100 orthe add content icon 288 on the active entry screen 200. When the addcontent interface 300 is displayed, the back icon 216 can be selected togo back to the initial entry screen 100 or the active entry screen 200depending upon which was the prior screen. The add content interface 300includes a content folders or photo albums section 302 and a command bar304. In a free version of the system, the add content interface 300 canalso include an advertisement section. The photo albums section 302includes one or more default and user-defined photo albums. In thisinstance, the photo albums section 302 includes a Camera Shots albumlink 322 with 230 photos, an All Photos album link 324 with 14 photosand a My Web Safe Photos album link 326. The photo albums section 302also includes an album creation link 328. By selecting the albumcreation link 328, the user can enter a title for the new album and thencontrol is passed to a select photos interface 400 where the user canadd photos to the new album. The command bar 304 includes a launchcamera icon 330 that can bring up a camera interface 1200 to takepictures to be managed by the system.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary select photos or select content interface 400that can be reached by selecting one of the photo albums in the photoalbums section 302 of the content interface 300. When the photosinterface 400 is displayed, the back icon 216 can be selected to go backto the add content interface 300. The select photos interface 400includes a parameter bar 402, a photo section 404, and a command bar406. In a free version of the system, the select photos interface 400can also include an advertisement section. The parameter bar 402includes one or more parameters of potential interest to the user, forexample the number of photos currently selected by the user. The photosection 404 includes photos that are managed by the system. The commandbar 406 includes icons for one or more commands that can be selected bythe user.

In this embodiment, the photo section 404 shows an array of cells 440where each cell 440 contains a thumbnail of a photo managed by thesystem. The photos can be organized and displayed in various otherarrangements as would be obvious to those of skill in the art. A checkbox 442 in a cell 440 indicates that the user has selected the photo inthat cell 440. The number of photos selected in the parameter bar 402can be increased or decreased as the user selects or deselects cells 440in the photo section 404. An unselected cell 440 can be selected byclicking-on the unselected cell 440 with a pointing device or tapping onthe unselected cell 440 with a touch screen. A selected cell 440 can bedeselected by clicking-on the selected cell 440 with a pointing deviceor tapping on the selected cell 440 with a touch screen.

The command bar 406 of the select photos interface 400 includes an addbutton 420 and a cancel button 422. When the add button 420 is selected,the photos selected by the user in the photo section 404 can be added tothe photo album previously selected in the photo albums section 302 ofthe add content interface 300. When the cancel button 422 is selected,all of the photos in the photo section 404 can be deselected and theuser can start over selecting photos to add to the photo albumpreviously selected in the photo albums section 302 of the add photosinterface 300. Alternatively, when the cancel button 422 is selected,the system can exit the select photos interface 400 without addingselected photos to a photo album and return to the add content interface300.

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary view photo or view content interface 500 thatcan be reached by double tapping a photo in the select photos interface400. The view photo interface 500 includes a filename 502 for the photobeing displayed and a photo viewer section 504 where the photo isdisplayed. The photo viewer section 504 can include photo viewingfunctionality, such as zoom and pan. With a touch screen, the next orprevious photo in a photo album or photo file can be displayed bytouching the photo viewer section 504 of the screen and swiping left fornext photo or right for previous photo. In alternative embodiments,arrows or directional indicators can be placed on the right and leftside of the photo viewer section 504 and the next or previous photo in aphoto album or file can be displayed by selecting the appropriatedirectional indicator. Alternative methods of looking at the next orprevious photos or other content will also be known to those of skill inthe art.

By selecting the menu icon 214, a menu of commands 510 can be overlaidon the view photo interface 500. In this embodiment, the menu ofcommands 510 includes a modify photo icon 512, a share photo icon 514, aphoto details icon 516, a settings icon 518, a delete photo icon 520 andan info icon 522. The modify photo icon 512 can bring up a modify photointerface 800 to modify the photo displayed in the photo viewer 504. Theshare photo icon 514 can bring up a photo sharing interface 1100 toshare the photo displayed in the photo viewer 504. The details icon 516can display the metadata associated with the photo displayed in thephoto viewer 504. An exemplary listing of metadata is shown in FIG. 7.The settings icon 518 can bring up a settings interface 600 for thesystem. The delete photo icon 520 can delete the photo displayed in thephoto viewer 504. The info icon 522 can bring up an information screenproviding information about the system, including for example, a shortdescription of the system, a system version identifier, a link to awebsite regarding the system, and some usage information for the userdevice, for example, number of photos modified, number of photos shared,etc.

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary settings interface 600 that can be reached byselecting the settings icon 518 of the view photo interface 500, or thesettings icon displayed when the menu control 214 is selected on manyother screens of the system. The settings interface 600 includes anInclude Author checkbox 602, a Taken By field 604, a Watermark checkbox606 and a manage accounts section 608. When the Include Author checkbox602 is checked and an entry is made in the Taken By field 604, then theentry in the Taken By field 604 can overwrite the author/artist metadataassociated with the content when it is modified by the system. When theInclude Author checkbox 602 is checked and no entry is made in the TakenBy field 604, then the author/artist metadata associated with thecontent can be left unmodified by the system. When the Include Authorcheckbox 602 is not checked, then the author/artist metadata associatedwith a photo can be removed from the metadata when it is modified by thesystem. If the Watermark checkbox 606 is checked, then a systemwatermark is included on a photo modified by the system to show that thephoto has been modified by the system. If the Watermark checkbox 606 isnot checked, then no system watermark is included on a photo modified bythe system. In a free version of the system, the settings interface 600can be modified to not display the Watermark checkbox 606 and to put asystem watermark on all photos modified by the free version of thesystem.

The manage accounts section 608 of the settings interface 600 caninclude a listing of social network and photo sharing websites. Thislisting of social network and photo sharing websites can be thoseselected by the user or a default list with functionality to add orremove sites. When a particular site from the manage accounts section608 is selected, a social networking/photo sharing interface for thatparticular site can be displayed. The social networking/photo sharinginterface can include an application programming interface for theselected site and a back button (for example the device control 216) toreturn to the settings interface 600.

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary metadata listing that can be displayed byselecting the details icon 516 from the menu of commands on the viewphoto interface 500. The metadata listing can include information abouta device that took the photo or created the content, the filename of thecontent, the name of the device that created the content, the date andtime the content was created, the GPS data of the location where thecontent was created, image or file parameters for the content, andadditional information associated with the content, or with the device,or with the user creating the content or using the device.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary modify photo interface 800 that can be reachedby selecting a modify photo icon including the modify photo icon 282 ofthe active system interface 200 or the modify photo icon 512 of the menuof commands 510 of the view photo interface 500. Selecting the backdevice control 216 can return the user from the modify photo interface800 to the previous screen without executing further commands in themodify photo interface 800. The modify photo interface 800 includes aparameter bar 802, a photo section 804, an advertisement section 806 anda command bar 808. The parameter bar 802 includes one or more parametersof potential interest to the user, for example the number of photoscurrently selected for modification by the user. The photo section 804includes photos that are currently managed by the system. Theadvertisement section 806 can be eliminated on a paid version of thesystem, which provides more screen space for the photo section 804and/or the command bar 808. The command bar 808 includes icons for oneor more commands that can be selected by the user.

In this embodiment, the photo section 804 shows an array of cells 840where each cell 840 contains a thumbnail of a photo managed by thesystem or photos in the currently selected photo album. The photos canbe organized and displayed in various other arrangements as would beobvious to those of skill in the art. A check box 842 in a cell 840indicates that the user has selected the photo in that cell 840 formodification. A system icon 844 in a cell 840 indicates that the photoin that cell 840 has already been modified by the system. The systemicon 844 can indicate photos that have been modified in the currentsession, or can indicate photos that have been modified by the systemwhether in the current or prior sessions. In this embodiment, thecommand bar 808 provides an edit icon 882, an all icon 884 and a deleteor remove icon 886.

The user can select individual photos for modification by selectingindividual cells 840, indicated by the check boxes 842. Alternatively,the user can select the all icon 884 to select all of the photos in thephoto section 804. If all of the photos in the photo section 804 arecurrently selected, then selecting the all icon 884 can deselect all ofthe photos in the photo section 804. The edit icon 882 can bring up aphoto metadata modification interface 900 to modify the photos that areselected in the photo section 804 as indicated by the check boxes 842 inthe cells 840. The remove icon 886 can remove the photos that areselected in the photo section 804 as indicated by the check boxes 842 inthe cells 840 so that those photos are no longer subject to modificationin this session of the modify photo interface 800. A confirm window canbe brought up when the remove photo icon 886 is selected asking for theuser to select “yes” or “cancel” before actually removing the selectedphotos. If the user selects “yes” then the photos can be removed and theuser returned to the previous screen, and if the user selects “cancel”then the photos can not be removed and the user returned to the previousscreen.

FIG. 9 shows an exemplary photo metadata modification interface 900 thatcan be reached by selecting the edit icon 882 of the modify photointerface 800. The metadata modification interface 900 includes metadataselection section 902 and a command bar 904. The metadata selectionsection 902 includes a Filename field 920, an Author field 922, a removedate/time checkbox 924, a remove location checkbox 926 and a remove allcheckbox 928. The command bar 904 includes an OK button 942 and a Cancelbutton 944. No actual changes are made to the metadata for the photosselected on the modify photo interface 800 until the OK button 942 isselected. When the OK button 942 is selected then the metadata for theselected photos is modified as determined by the fields and checkboxesin the metadata selection section 902. A confirmation window can appearindicating that the metadata was successfully modified for the selectedphotos, and then the user can be returned to the modify photo interface800 with system icons 844 added to the photos that were modified. Whenthe Cancel button 944 is selected then the metadata for the selectedphotos is not modified and the user is returned to the modify photointerface 800.

The user can enter a filename in the Filename field 920 to be associatedwith all of the photos selected in the photo section 804 of the modifyphoto interface 800. If only one photo is selected then that photoreceives the name entered in the Filename field 920. If multiple photosare selected then a numerical suffix can be added to the filenames foreach of the photos, for example Vacation_001, Vacation_002, etc. If theFilename field 920 is left blank, then no change is made to the filenamein the metadata. The user can enter an author name in the Author field922 to be associated with all of the photos selected in the photosection 804 of the modify photo interface 800. If on the settings screen600, the Include Author checkbox 602 is checked and an author name wasentered in the Taken By field 604, then that author name can appear inthe Author field 922. If the remove date/time checkbox 924 is checkedthen the date/time fields are blanked out in the metadata for theselected photos, otherwise no change is made to the date/time in themetadata. If the remove location checkbox 926 is checked then thelocation and GPS fields are blanked out in the metadata for the selectedphotos, otherwise no change is made to the location and GPS fields inthe metadata. If the remove all checkbox 928 is checked then all of thefields are blanked out in the metadata for the selected photos,otherwise no additional fields are changed in the metadata.

FIG. 10 shows an exemplary photo sharing or export interface 1000 thatincludes a parameter bar 1002, a photo section 1004 and a command bar1008. A free version of the system can also include an advertisementsection. The parameter bar 1002 includes one or more parameters ofpotential interest to the user, for example the number of photoscurrently selected for sharing or export. The photo section 1004includes photos that are currently managed by the system. The commandbar 1008 includes icons for one or more commands that can be selected bythe user.

In this embodiment, the photo section 1004 shows an array of cells 1040where each cell 1040 contains a thumbnail of a photo managed by thesystem or photos in the currently selected photo album. The photos canbe organized and displayed in various other arrangements as would beobvious to those of skill in the art. A check box 1042 in a cell 1040indicates that the user has selected the photo in that cell 1040 formodification. A system icon 1044 in a cell 1040 indicates that the photoin that cell 1040 has already been modified by the system. The systemicon 1044 can indicate photos that have been modified in the currentsession, or can indicate photos that have been modified by the systemwhether in the current or prior sessions. In this embodiment, thecommand bar 1008 provides a share icon 1082, an all icon 1084 and aremove icon 1086.

The user can select individual photos for sharing by selectingindividual cells 1040, indicated by the check boxes 1042. Alternatively,the user can select the all icon 1084 to select all of the photos in thephoto section 1004. If all of the photos in the photo section 1004 arecurrently selected, then selecting the all icon 1084 can deselect all ofthe photos in the photo section 1004. The share icon 1082 can bring up asharing selection interface 1100 to select the methods for sharing thephotos selected in the photo section 1004. The remove icon 1086 canremove the photos that are selected in the photo section 1004 asindicated by the check boxes 1042 in the cells 1040 so that those photosare no longer subject to sharing in this session of the photo sharinginterface 1000. A confirm window can be brought up when the remove photoicon 1086 is selected asking for the user to select “yes” or “cancel”before actually removing the selected photos. If the user selects “yes”then the photos are removed and the user is returned to the photosharing interface 1000, and if the user selects “cancel” then the photosare not removed and the user is returned to the photo sharing interface1000.

FIG. 11 shows an exemplary sharing selection interface 1100 for userselection of methods for sharing selected photos. The sharing selectioninterface 1100 can be reached in various ways including by selecting theshare icon 284 of the active system entry interface 200, selecting theshare icon 514 of the command menu 510, or selecting the share icon 1082of the photo sharing interface 1000. Selecting the back device control216 can return the user from the sharing selection interface 1100 to thephoto sharing interface 1000. The sharing selection interface 1100includes options for the user to select in sharing selected photos. Inthis embodiment, the options include electronic mail (Email) option1102, multimedia messaging service (MMS) option 1104, various socialnetworking and photo sharing website options 1106 (Facebook, Flickr,Twitter, Picasa, Photobucket, etc.) and other options 1108 where theuser can enter additional social networking and photo sharing websites.The options listed in the sharing selection interface 1100 can betailored for a particular device so that unavailable options are notlisted. The user can be prompted to select photo file size beforesharing, for example small, medium or large.

If the user selects the Email option 1102, then the system can open theappropriate electronic mail client on the device, attach the photos andallow the user to enter the e-mail addresses of the intended recipients.If the user selects the MMS option 1104, then the system can open theappropriate messaging client on the device, attach the photos and allowthe user to enter the phone numbers of the intended recipients. Whensending photos using the MMS option 1104, the system can automaticallyreduce the photos to small file size. If the user selects one of thevarious social networking, photo sharing or other website options 1106,1108, then the system can open an Internet browser on the deviceaccessing the user's home page on the selected site and upload theselected photos. The system can include user selectable default profilesto be applied to content based on the method selected forexporting/sharing of the content. After exporting/sending/uploading theselected photos using the selected sharing options, the user can bereturned to the sharing selection interface 1100. Alternatively, if thedevice or photo sharing client exits the user from the system, then whenthe user returns to the system, the system can return to the photosharing interface 1000 with the same photos selected for sharing.

FIG. 12 shows an exemplary camera interface 1200 for taking photos. Thecamera interface 1200 can be reached in various ways including byselecting the camera icon 286 of the active system entry interface 200,or selecting the camera icon 330 of the add photos interface 300. Thecamera interface 1200 includes a photo preview area 1202, a pull-downcontrols menu 1204, a zoom function 1206 and a system return button1208. When the camera takes a photo, it can record exchangeable imagefile format (EXIF) metadata including location (GPS) data and store withthe photos by default. The photo preview area 1202 can show what thedevice sees in the lens before taking a photo. The pull-down controlsmenu 1204 can pull down controls for the camera, for example exposure,brightness, effects, settings, etc. The zoom function 1206 can zoom inand out on the subject and this can be shown by the change in the photopreview area 1202. The system return button 1208 or the device backcontrol 216 can return the user to the system interface screen where thecamera was activated adding the captured photo or photos taken while inthe camera interface 1200.

FIGS. 13-15 show another exemplary embodiment of a system and method forcontrolling and organizing metadata that includes many of the featuresdescribed above. The system can be designed to integrate within thedevice operating system settings, content viewer, web browser orstand-alone application for automatically or manually editing metadatain content that is to be shared from the device.

FIG. 13 shows a content selection screen 1300 with options for recordingnew image and video content. The content selection screen 1300 includesan array of one or more types of content items including image contentitems 1302, video content items 1304 and other types of content items1306 which can include textual or other types of content. The contentitems can be selected individually or as a batch. New image content canbe created and added to the system by selecting the camera icon 1310 andnew video content can be created and added to the system by selectingthe video icon 1312.

FIG. 14 shows an individual content item 1400 with selectable overlayindicators 1410, 1420 showing when metadata information is contained orassociated with the content item. The first overlay indicator 1410 canindicate whether the content item 1400 includes metadata information.The metadata information can include, for example, Exchangeable ImageFile Format (EXIF), International Press Telecommunications Council(IPTC) and/or Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) format metadatainformation. The second overlay indicator 1420 can indicate whethergeolocation metadata is associated with the content item 1400. Byselecting the overlay indicators 1410, 1420 when they indicate thatmetadata information is associated with the content item 1400, themetadata information of various formats can be displayed for viewingand/or modification by the user. Selecting the second overlay indicator1420 when it indicates geolocation metadata is associated with thecontent item 1400 can display a map showing the location indicated bythe metadata with street address, latitude/longitude/altitude or othergeolocation information. When the metadata is displayed by selecting theoverlay indicators 1410, 1420, the system can enable the user to modifyfields of the displayed metadata.

Before sharing/exporting selected content, the user can elect to modifyor remove the metadata information associated with a content itemmanually or by using predetermined profiles or both. Manual modificationof the metadata information for an individual content item 1400 can bedone when the metadata information is displayed for that content itemusing the overlay indicators 1410, 1420. Users can also create anynumber of customized profiles for metadata modification. Thesecustomized metadata profiles can include, for example, a custom locationfor all shared content, preset taken by information, comments, websiteaddress, copyright and other metadata information available in EXIF,IPTC, XMP or other metadata fields. The geolocation, directional andaltitude data can also be modified or added manually or by usingcustomized profiles.

FIG. 15 illustrates an individual content item 1500 and its associatedmetadata. In this example, the content item 1500 has associatedgeolocation metadata 1510, associated EXIF format metadata 1520,associated IPTC format metadata 1530 and associated XMP format metadata1540. The latitude and longitude data can be modified or added bymanipulating a pin 1512 to a specific location on a map and/or byentering a specific street address 1514. The altitude and othergeolocation information can also be modified or deleted. Specific EXIFmetadata fields 1522 can be modified or deleted, or a complete removaloption 1524 can be selected to remove all metadata in all fields of theEXIF file 1520 and/or to delete the entire EXIF file 1520. Specific IPTCmetadata fields 1532 can be modified or deleted, or a complete removaloption 1534 can be selected to remove all metadata in all fields of theIPTC file 1530 and/or to delete the entire IPTC file 1530. Specific XMPmetadata fields 1542 can be modified or deleted, or a complete removaloption 1544 can be selected to remove all metadata in all fields of theXMP file 1540 and/or to delete the entire XMP file 1540. A visualwatermark 1502 can be added to the content item 1500 indicating thatassociated metadata information has been modified by the system. Thevisual watermark 1502 can be an option controllable by the user, and theuser can be enabled to customize graphic or text to be used as thewatermark 1502.

When selected content items are shared/exported, if no modificationprofile has been selected then the content will be shared with nofurther metadata modification. A profile can be created to modifyspecific metadata fields automatically or manually.

A default profile can be selected or created for the system to remove ormodify all, or specific metadata fields associated with content itemsbefore they are shared. For example, a standard profile for removing allmetadata for any shared content can be the default profile option. Otherstandard profile options can include, but are not limited to, removinggeolocation data, removing date and time data, adding or overwritingtaken by data and/or adding copyright data. An unlimited number ofprofiles can be created or selected by the user to be automaticallyapplied to any content that is shared from the device or application,and different profiles can be used for different types of content or indifferent situations. In other words, once an automatic profile has beenselected, it can be applied to all content as it is shared, unless theprofile has been set to show a decision prompt when content is shared.

A common use for modifying or adding geolocation metadata as anautomatic profile is for sharing artwork and photography on photosharing and social network sites and automatically providing businessaddress information. Automatic profiles can be created for EXIF, IPTC,XMP or other format metadata that include automatically modifying andremoving specific metadata fields, or deleting the entire metadata fileand its contents. Geolocation metadata is often stored in EXIF metadatafields, so use of an automatic profile to remove all geolocation datafrom content as it is shared would include deleting any geolocationmetadata in an associated EXIF metadata file. When a profile has beenimplemented by the system, it will automatically apply to all contentitems to which it is associated when that content is selected and/orexported and/or shared from the device. For example: text, instantmessage, email, internet, website, online storage, social network, localstorage, file transfer and other methods for transferring digitalcontent.

FIG. 16 shows an exemplary profile control flow diagram 1600 for anembodiment of the metadata control and management system. At block 1602the user has selected content to be shared or content for metadatamodification using an input mechanism of the system. At block 1604, thesystem determines if there is a profile for the particular situation. Ifthere is an applicable preselected profile for the situation, then atblock 1606 a metadata modification component applies the situationprofile to the content and at block 1620 the content is shared, exportedand/or saved with the modified metadata. If there is not an applicablepreselected profile for the situation, then control moves to block 1608.

At block 1608, the metadata modification component determines if thereis a profile for the particular content type to be shared. If there isan applicable preselected profile for the content type, then at block1610 the metadata modification component applies the content typeprofile to the content and at block 1620 the content is shared, exportedand/or saved with the modified metadata. If there is not an applicablepreselected profile for the content type, then control moves to block1612.

At block 1612, the metadata modification component determines if thereis a preselected general default profile to be applied to content beforeit is shared. If there is a preselected general default profile, then atblock 1614 the metadata modification component applies the defaultprofile to the content and at block 1620 the content is shared, exportedand/or saved with the modified metadata. If there is not a preselectedgeneral default profile, then control moves to block 1616.

At block 1616, the metadata modification component allows the user tomanually modify the metadata associated with the selected content or toselect one or more profiles to be used on the content. At block 1618,the metadata modification component applies any user selected profilesto the metadata associated with the content. Then at block 1620 thecontent is shared, exported and/or saved with the modified or unmodifiedmetadata.

FIG. 17 illustrates an exemplary environment for use of the metadatacontrol and management system. A plurality of electronic devices,including a computer 1704 and a smart phone 1702 can communicate withone or more server systems 1720. Each of the user devices 1702, 1704includes input and output mechanisms. For example, input mechanisms caninclude keyboard, mouse, touch screen, pointing device, etc.; and outputmechanisms can include display screen, printer, etc. The server systems1720 can be phone system service providers, internet service providersor other types of service providers enabling access to other electronicdevices and networks. The smart phone 1702 stores and creates content1712 stored in memory, and the computer 1704 stores and creates content1714 stored in memory. Some of the content 1712, 1714 can contain or beassociated with metadata information. The devices 1712, 1714 can sharecontent with one another through the server 1720. The server 1720 canalso communicate with wide area networks 1730, such as the internet.Other servers, such as the server 1740 can also communicate with thewide area network 1730 and with a local device 1750. The devices 1702,1704 and 1750 can share content through the wide area network 1730. Themetadata control and management system can be used to control themetadata that accompanies the content shared between these devices. Thisis only one exemplary environment, and this metadata system can be usedin numerous environments known by those of skill in the art.

While exemplary embodiments incorporating the principles of the presentinvention have been disclosed hereinabove, the present invention is notlimited to the disclosed embodiments. Instead, this application isintended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the inventionusing its general principles. Further, this application is intended tocover such departures from the present disclosure as come within knownor customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains andwhich fall within the limits of the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A system for controlling metadata associated with contentitems as directed by a user of an electronic device, the systemcomprising: a user interface comprising interface screens displayed on adisplay of the electronic device; an input mechanism on the electronicdevice, the input mechanism receiving user instructions through the userinterface; a plurality of content items accessible by the electronicdevice, one or more of the plurality of content items having metadataassociated therewith; a plurality of content sharing mechanisms on theelectronic device, each of the plurality of content sharing mechanismsfor at least one of receiving content items accessible by the electronicdevice and sending content items accessible by the electronic deviceover a network; a plurality of profiles accessible by the electronicdevice, each of the plurality of profiles including profile instructionsregarding metadata control and being directed to at least one of theplurality of content sharing mechanisms; a sharing selection componentfor selecting a selected content item of the plurality of content items,and for selecting a selected content sharing mechanism of the pluralityof content sharing mechanisms, the selected content item having selectedcontent metadata associated therewith; a metadata modification componentfor automatically selecting one or more relevant profiles of theplurality of profiles based on the selected content sharing mechanism,and for generating modified metadata from the selected content metadatain accordance with the profile instructions of the one or more relevantprofiles, each of the one or more relevant profiles being directed tothe selected content sharing mechanism; a sharing component for sharinga version of the selected content item and the modified metadatagenerated from the selected content metadata through the selectedcontent sharing mechanism.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sharingcomponent shares the selected content item and the modified metadatagenerated from the selected content metadata through the selectedcontent sharing mechanism.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein theplurality of content items comprises original content items and modifiedcontent items, metadata associated with the original content items nothaving been modified by the metadata modification component and metadataassociated with the modified content items having been modified by themetadata modification component, and wherein when the metadatamodification component generates modified metadata, the metadatamodification component generates an electronic copy of the selectedcontent item, associates the modified metadata generated from theselected content metadata with the electronic copy, and does not modifythe selected content metadata, the electronic copy of the selectedcontent item being a modified content item; and wherein the sharingcomponent shares the electronic copy of the selected content item andthe modified metadata generated from the selected content metadatathrough the selected content sharing mechanism.
 4. The system of claim3, wherein the metadata modification component modifies the electroniccopy of the selected content item in accordance with the profileinstructions of the one or more relevant profiles, and the sharingcomponent shares the modified electronic copy of the selected contentitem and the modified metadata generated from the selected contentmetadata through the selected content sharing mechanism.
 5. The systemof claim 3, wherein the metadata modification component associates themodified metadata generated from the selected content metadata with theelectronic copy of the selected content item.
 6. The system of claim 5,further comprising: a marking component for marking the modified contentitems with a watermark; and a content selection component for displayingone or more of the plurality of content items on the display of theelectronic device, and for selecting a selected set of the plurality ofdisplayed content items; the content selection component displaying thewatermark to identify the modified content items.
 7. The system of claim1, further comprising a content selection component for displaying oneor more of the plurality of content items on the display of theelectronic device, and for selecting a selected set of the plurality ofdisplayed content items; the sharing selection component using thecontent selection component for selecting the selected content item ofthe plurality of content items.
 8. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising an add content component for adding additional content itemsto the plurality of content items accessible by the electronic device.9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content items and themetadata associated with the plurality of content items are stored inmemory of the electronic device
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein theplurality of profiles are stored in memory of the electronic device 11.The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of profiles are stored inmemory of the electronic device
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein whenthe selected content sharing mechanism is electronic mail, the metadatamodification component automatically selects the one or more relevantprofiles directed to electronic mail, and modifies the metadataassociated with the selected content item in accordance with the profileinstructions of the one or more relevant profiles; and the sharingcomponent generates an electronic mail message with the version of theselected content item and the modified metadata generated from theselected content metadata for electronic mailing over a network.
 13. Thesystem of claim 12, wherein the selected content sharing mechanismfurther comprises a recipient for the electronic mail message; themetadata modification component automatically selects the one or morerelevant profiles directed to electronic mail to the recipient; and thesharing component generates the electronic mail message for sending tothe recipient.
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein when the selectedcontent sharing mechanism is a website, the metadata modificationcomponent automatically selects the one or more relevant profilesdirected to the website, and modifies the metadata associated with theselected content item in accordance with the profile instructions of theone or more relevant profiles; and the sharing component prepares theversion of the selected content item and the modified metadata generatedfrom the selected content metadata for uploading to the website over anetwork.
 15. The system of claim 1, wherein when the selected contentsharing mechanism is a text message, the metadata modification componentautomatically selects the one or more relevant profiles directed to textmessages, and modifies the metadata associated with the selected contentitem in accordance with the profile instructions of the one or morerelevant profiles; and the sharing component prepares the version of theselected content item and the modified metadata generated from theselected content metadata for sending in a text message over a network.16. The system of claim 15, wherein the selected content sharingmechanism further comprises a recipient for the text message; themetadata modification component automatically selects the one or morerelevant profiles directed to text messages to the recipient; and thesharing component generates the text message for sending to therecipient.
 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata modificationcomponent determines the relevant profiles based on a user-selecteddestination for sending the selected content item.
 18. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the metadata modification component determines therelevant profiles based on a type of content for the selected contentitem.
 19. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content itemscomprises digital content accessible by the electronic device.
 20. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content items comprises atleast one of photos and videos accessible by the electronic device. 21.The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content items comprisestextual content accessible by the electronic device.
 22. The system ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of plurality of profiles includescopyright data, and when one or more of the relevant profiles includescopyright data, the modified metadata generated by the metadatamodification component includes the copyright data from the one or moreof the relevant profiles.
 23. The system of claim 1, wherein one ofplurality of profiles is a customized profile including a customlocation, and when the one or more relevant profiles includes thecustomized profile, the metadata modification component overwrites anylocation information in the selected content metadata when generatingthe modified metadata.